Five New Must-Watch Movies for Black History Month In 2022
Before Black History Month wraps, you must catch up on any of these phenomenal films if you haven’t seen them already. This list will be hashing out movies from the past year that discuss various aspects of Black history, bringing more education and light to less discussed topics the community has faced through the years. Some of these you might’ve seen in the newest Oscar nomination announcement, others in your friends’ recommendations.
I feel like cinema overall has really shifted into a very historical era. Black cinema in the process is embracing this to illuminate particular issues that history classes across the United States continuously skip past. I have specifically added new movies to this list that focus on those exact issues so we all can get on the same page. So let’s get to movie binging this month!
Summer of Soul (...Or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised)
From Hulu’s Summer of Soul (...Or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised)
I have watched this documentary several times now and for good reason! Questlove brought the Harlem Cultural Festival back to life with footage that has been hidden from the world for the past 50 years until now. I’ve adored watching and rewatching this with others and taking new perspectives from it each time. This film makes you feel like you are at the festival and gives you room to enjoy the talent and power of the performances. It also has perfectly integrated interviews with performers and other individuals that were invested and affected by this festival to give more context and perspective.
The film really made me feel like I have really been missing out on a beautiful secret even as someone who prides themself to have been quite savvy in 1960’s New York culture. It really feels like it time travels you back to the event and shows the sad truth of how this stayed a hidden secret of an event after all these years. In watching it I witnessed a few beautiful hours of culture in experiencing it and cannot recommend it enough.
The Harder They Fall
From Netflix’s The Harder They Fall
I LOVE a good cowboy movie. Westerns have always been a big favorite of mine. The classic tropes, the suspense, the drama—it’s always so captivating and has such high stakes. It’s the kind of story, similar to dramas, that you very well know where it’s going, yet you still hold out hope that they will get away with it. After watching an Adam Ruins Everything episode a while back though, I quickly learned how much those movies conceal the truth of the Wild West. I adore how pop culture is taking note of this and there has been a widespread reclaiming of cowboy culture for marginalized communities of different kinds. The Harder They Fall gives us the Black cowboy representation we have been needing.
The performances and script really do shine in this film. The movie draws on a lot of modern race issues and uses the wild west setting to really bring to light the miseducation of cowboys and their white-washed history.
Passing
From Netflix’s Passing
If you’ve read my other pieces, you know I have already recommended this movie before, but I am really pushing this recommendation on y’all for a reason. I remember seeing the book Passing in a bookstore and almost picking it up months ago. I’ve been regretting not picking it up ever since watching this movie. This film took my breath away, discussing the topic of what “white-passing” is and its impact in depth. Once I heard what the premise was, I became highly invested as I have been wondering why films haven’t discussed this issue up until this point. The ending, without spoilers, will leave you breathless and speechless. I felt like I could hear a pin drop at one one point.
I think that besides the strong and viral discussions of identity and Black history here, there is so much hard work and dedication that shines from the entire cast and crew in this piece. I honestly believe it’s one of the biggest snubs for the Oscar’s this year, its mastery deserves way more recognition.
King Richard
From King Richard
Honestly, when it comes to this year’s Oscar nominees in general, this is a movie I put at the top of my list out of those nominated. I had zero expectations going into it as I did absolutely no research and was so blown away by the story presented in it. I think it shows more of a grounded, modern take of societal issues we still face today but considering its framing around the Williams family, it constantly reminds you that these are issues that have been prevalent in all too recent times. Every character is so realistically portrayed with nuance, it sheds a lot more light onto the tennis superstars we have all come to love.
I think this movie also really pivots away what’s expected from typical “sports” movies, and especially biopics. It doesn’t focus so much on the sport itself, or even the athletes at hand. This movie takes a deep dive into the relationships parents have with up-and-coming athletes, especially those who coach or stay very involved in the process of their child’s sports career. I haven’t witnessed a movie in recent years really take a deep dive into this topic besides maybe I, Tonya but that movie had very different focuses and points to it that I find the two films so hard to compare. Will Smith really takes the reins to show audiences how hard previous generations of Black parents have had to work for their children’s success. It also presents each character with all their faults, showing us real people, their motives, and holding everyone accountable involved to their real life actions and attitudes for audiences.
Judas and the Black Messiah
From HBOMax’s Judas and the Black Messiah
If you want to talk pivotal pieces to watch for Black History Month, this quickly rises to the top. I know that this movie gets lumped with last year’s Oscars but it did come out right around the time of the awards last year. I feel like this specific film was one I didn’t mean to skip over in the mix in its initial release, but I did and I highly regret it. This movie is SO important and provides so much more perspective on the Blank Panther Party and how they were treated by U.S. government officials in their fight for racial justice.
It aligns Fred Hampton’s story as deputy chairman of the Black Panther Party. The story alludes to the story of Judas’s betrayal, but still finds a way to keep you guessing as to what will come next. It helps anybody recognize the lasting fight that Black people have been through for generations for justice and how much work we really have to go. A story that needs to be heard way more than it has already.
